Tackle the closetsĬlosets are a great place to store things that you don’t want out in the open, and can easily become a place where you shove things just to keep them out of view. Organize everything that you’ve decided to keep into drawers, cabinets, and closets, keeping them out of sight, but still neatly organized and uncluttered. Sort things in piles – toss, donate, or keep. Clear them as much as possible, and then move onto furniture.Ĭonsider if you need everything. Throw out or donate unused things.Īfter clearing the floor, move to flat surfaces such as countertops, shelves, tops of dressers, etc. Start by clearing off anything that is on the floors. If your rooms are too cluttered, you’ll want to simplify them. So it’s no wonder that a messy house can add to daily stress. Outside of work, home is where many of a bulk of our time. Instead of letting information, even the kind that friends share on Facebook, take over your life, control how and when you receive it by limiting what you read. I’m not suggesting that you cut yourself off from the world, just that setting some boundaries will help. Chuck those magazine subscriptions and reduce your consumption of news and television. Reduce the number of things that you read each day and get rid of things from your RSS feed. Instead of letting information take over your life, set limits. Information in itself can become overwhelming when you have too much of it, and this is called information clutter. In the digital world of today, there are so many different ways that information creeps into our lives. If organization is not your thing, utilize a program such as Google Desktop to search for your files when you need them. There are better ways of accessing your information. They not only slow down your computer, but also create visual clutter. Get rid of most or all of the icons on your desktop. When the papers come in, sort them each day – toss, delegate, do immediately, or file simply file all documents, but whatever you do, DO NOT KEEP THEM ON TOP OF YOUR DESK.Īll you want on the surface of your desk is your phone, computer, inbox, and maybe a special photo in addition to the documents you are working with at the moment. Keep flat surfaces clear, and have an inbox for all incoming papers. If you need to, label things, but the main thing you should do is designate a spot for every item you decided to keep and make sure that it stays there, or goes back there when you’re done using it. Keep your office supplies and other items in designated drawers. Set up a basic alphabetical filing system with a folder for each project or client. Once you’ve weeded things out, it’s time to sort through the remains: Toss out as much as possible a relatively small amount. Sort through all of the “stuff” that was both in and on your desk. Clean and wipe down your desk and marvel at how pretty and clean it looks. Start with your deskĬlear everything off the top of it and take everything out of the drawers.Īssemble the items in piles on the floor. If you want to be more productive and focused in your work, getting the clutter out of your work area is essential. Take a look at this guide on how to declutter friends: The Harsh but Honest Truth About Friendship Decluttering How to Declutter Your Work Area

Declutter your thoughts